Paint rollers, sometimes called rotary brushes, have become increasingly popular with all classes of users including professional painters. They have the ability to cover large areas in a minimum time with relatively little effort and at the same time produce an extremely good finish.
A paint roller usually comprises a spindle which includes a support arm with a handle fixed thereto. The spindle rotatably supports a cylindrical member in which is fixed an absorbent covering either natural or artificial.
The roller is loaded with paint by rotating it in a tray of paint as is well understood in the art and the paint is then applied to the surface by simply moving the roller over it.
As the roller is rotated, centrifugal force causes small particles of paint to fly from the surface of the roller in all directions. These paint particles spatter the hands and face of the user and also the area beneath the area being painted in most cases where the roller is used for overhead work. The faster the roller is rotated the greater the amount of spattering.
The spattering of paint from rollers is extremely annoying and in an attempt to overcome this problem it has been proposed to use a spatter guard in conjunction with the roller.
There are various types of spatter guards on the market. They usually consist of a trough shaped member secured to the roller handle and extending across the rear of the roller so as to catch particles of paint as it flies from the rear surface of the roller.
These spatter guards have only compounded the problem. While they have proved extremely satisfactory in collecting paint particles, the particles very quickly accumulate into a substantial quantity of paint which necessitates frequent removal and cleaning of the guard which is inconvenient. If this is not done, the accumulated paint simply falls from the guard in the form of large drops.
In consequence, there has been a need for an adequate guard for use with paint rollers which will prevent the spattering from the rear of the roller and which will not leak paint accumulated therein.